String action is not about the guitar is about the musician playing the guitar.The string height of a classical guitar affects both the sound and play-ability of a classical guitar. The lower the string height (or action) the easier the guitar is to play. If the action is adjusted too low, then volume, sustain, and clarity of sound are reduced.The ...
We heard innumerable stories of composers gathering inspiration from nature and yet we make so much effort to perform in concert halls and many other venues that we believe to be a source of inspiration. Khatia Buniatishvili made a huge statement with her Waldkonzert as she broke the barriers and the walls we put between our us and the r...
Stranger things is a show that personally did a lot for me. This is a great surprise because this video is pushing even more buttons that what the TV show did. First of all, as I was talking with Nathan about the blog, I was excited because of the value and variety he is bringing to the world of nylon strings. However, things accelerated quite...
Many young musicians dive into a school, conservatory, or institute because they feel music as a path to live life and unfold oneself. I will say that this is a normal path because it coaches us structure and good habits. But as everything in life, it has a negative side because they stifle your versatility. Vincent Corver is an inspiration because...
So you have finally landed your first gig playing at a wedding. You are part of an ensemble and you are the one gathering information and coordinating music for the ceremony. You want to create music the wedding party will always remember Their experience with you will make an impact whether you are a viable and legit musician. How do you start?&nb...
Everyone (including myself) has fallen into the trap of "purchasing" a music degree via an established institution. It took me a verry long time to realize that the cost in "Time and Money" had no tangible Return of Investment. This is is main topic of the article. The schools are not properly educate us musicians in the business of music...
It's interesting to see how many people start playing guitar because they are on their way to fame and fortune. The truth is that the music industry (backed by Hollywood) has made the figure of the guitar player into a semi-divine figure of awesomeness. Today, new guitar players have to suffer from the reputation created by the previous generation ...
The Classical Guitar is an instrument that requires left-right hand coordination. This kind of complex task demands the brain to utilize the opposite hemispheres in different ways, forcing the performer to focus in a quite particular way. When playing classical guitar, the left hand is in charge of the notes while the right hand is in ch...
Learning and memorizing music is a process that sometimes takes blood, sweat, and tears and it could lead to tension. Practicing relaxed is important to play relaxed. In those two videos, Lang Lang and Josh Wright introduce why relaxing is important and how we should go about it in very simple ways. First, Lang Lang says that stretching and breath...
An important matter: "Violinist tend to be tedious because they think very highly of themselves"... This is a wide spread popular belief that actually is is far from true and we must stand for what is right. Many say: "I have innumerable violinists in my life that I am proud to call friends" while behind their back they blast them with jealousy and...
Natasha Paremski has a fascinating piano career. Her piano studies began at the age of 4 with Nina Malikova at Moscow's Andreyev School of Music and they concluded in New York with Pavlina Dokovska at Mannes College of Music. After 2007 and the conclusion of her academic life, her professional musical engagements allowed her to travel and per...
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" with Igor Fedorov. Today we get to hear one of my favorite songs played in a beautiful unique way by Igor Fedorov. Igor was inspired to play this version of the original tune by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, because of the touching lyrics and the freeing and relaxing feel of the ukulele being pl...
As I was browsing for music in the internet to find new artists, YouTube drove me in the direction of this fantastic arrangement of the Overture to one of my favorite operas. The original work has always struck me as a masterpiece for the ways innumerable amount of artists have used it. Obviously I am thinking of Stanley Kubrick and the Clockwork O...
The world of classical music is full of interpreters and this is what makes the experience much more rewarding. Compared to recordings that will always sound the same, you have a factor of surprise that only a classical musician can deliver. This is both an accident and a crafted intention. First of all, the performer has to deliver music to a par...
Mitsuko Uchida:Born in Atami, a seaside town close to Tokyo, Japan, Uchida moved to Vienna, Austria, with her diplomat parents when she was 12 years old, after her father was named the Japanese ambassador to Austria. She enrolled at the Vienna Academy of Music to study with Richard Hauser, and later Wilhelm Kempff and Stefan Askenase, and rema...
The Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53 for solo piano, was written by Frédéric Chopin in 1842. This composition is one of Chopin's most admired compositions and has long been a favorite of the classical piano repertoire. The piece, which is very difficult, requires exceptional piano skills and great virtuosity to be interpreted at a high d...